Incubator



July 14, 1931. 'r K. TIFFANY 1,814,419

INCUBA'I'OR Filed May 20, 1925 4 Shgets-Sheet 1 FIG: Z

INVENTOR W j TTOR NE ys.

July 14, 1931.

WITNESSES:

T. K. TIFFANY INGUBATOR Filed May 20, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Tlio .T" BY 0 er K Wang A TORNE YS.

July 4, 193 1 INCU TOR Filed May 20. 1925 4 Sheds-s 3 n a .L m I m K m WY v a m T v. B

T. K. TIFFANY July 14,1931.

INCUBATOR Filed May 20, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR.

W1 TNESSES Zblberi an wflu g Q ATTORNEYS.

Patented July 14, 1931 UNITE-D STATES PATENT OFFICE TOLIBERT K. TIFFANY, OF T'RENTON, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO JAMES H. BELL, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA INCUBATOR Application filed May 20,

This invention relates to incubators, and it is more particularly directed toward pro viding reliable and efficient air circulation and heating so that the exacting condltions 5 of temperature and ventilation necessary to the process of incubation through its var1- ous recognized phases or periods may be properly maintained and successful hatching thereby pre-assured.

One way in which this desideratum may be attained will be readily apparent from the detailed description hereinafter of a typical embodiment of my invention, the appended claims serving to define those features which I believe to be novel and therefore patentable.

With reference to the drawings, Flg. I is a front elevation of an incubator organization conveniently embodying my improve- 0 ments.

Fig. II is a longitudinal sectional View of the incubator.

Fig. III is an end elevation of the same, viewed from the right of Figs. I and II.

Fig. IV is a cross sectional view, taken as indicated by the arrows IVIV 1n Flg. II.

Fig. V is a central cross sectional View of the structure, taken as indicated by the arows in 11- Fig. VI is a detail sectional view showing a modification of which my invention is capable; and,

Fig. VII is a partial longitudinal sectional'view of still another modification.

' tures 1 1 for supporting egg trays l5 preferably in superposed relation as shown. Fer se, these egg racks constitute the sub ect matter of a separate application No. 31,511 filed by me simultaneously herewith which 53 has matured into Patent No. 1,722,973, dated 1925. Serial No. 31,510.

July 30, 1929, and need not therefore be referred to herein except in a general way. The bottom 16 of each incubating chamber 13 is elevatedabove the ground or floor level, the space 17 beneath being coextensive with the correspondingsection l2 and entirely enclosed, as shown, for better thermo-insulation at this region. The end walls 18 of the incubator sections 12, 12 are likewise made hollow, as shown in Fig. II, and serve as passages via which fresh air is conducted to the chamber 13, as will be presently ex- 'servation of the eggs from time to time without necessitating their exposure to outside atmosphere.

Fresh air enters the incubator sections 12 through gratings 21 that protect the inlet ends of conduits 22 in the base 17 ex tending directly beneath the hollow end walls 18 and communicating with the latter by way of a series of apertures 23, see Fig.

IV. These apertures 23 are graduated with regard to diameter so as to insure even distribution of the air flow into the hollow end walls and at the same time offset the possibility of short circuiting. Referring to Fig. II, it will be observed that the end walls 18 of each section 12 aresubdivided by intermediate partitions 24: into .up-fiow bra nches 25, and down-flow branches 26, the two branches communicating in each instance at the top through an opening 27, and the branch 26 directly with the incubating chamber 13 at the bottom through an opening 28. The up-flow branch 25 of each air passage contains heating means in the form of coil banks29 whose heat-radiating elements or convolutions are arranged vertically and staggered to define an undulatory course for the air, as shown by the arrows. As a consequence of this arrangement of what may be conveniently termed a return flow or reversed-directional inlet passage, the air is obliged to contact intimately with the pipe convolutions and is thereby uniformly andquickly heated previous to entering the incubating chambers 13'.

The air leaves each incubating chamber 13 via a centrally located flue 30, the upper portion 31 whereof is in the form of a vertical pipe that extends through the top .of the casing 1, While the lower portion 32 is expanded or broadened .to the iull widthzof the chamber 13,: he side wallsoi said portion terminating short .of the floor to providethe communicating openings 33. W it hin the enlarged portion 32 of %the flue is placed an auxiliary bank of heating coils which by virtue of its position, pro.- motes upward draft in the pipe 3 1 and thereby induces circulation of theair within :the corresponding incubator section 12.

In order that the circulation through the incubator sections 12 may .be properly .gov erned, provide for exhaust of air from each of the air flow passages in the hollow end walls 18 by way of outlets '35 extending through the roof of theenclosu-re,the dampers 36 for these outlets being hung to the ends of levers 37 subject to thermostats 38 located within the incubating chambers 13. If desired, such exhaust openings may :be located in the iiront wall of the housing 10 at a point about midway of the height of the latter, as shown at a in Fig. VI and at 35b in Fig. VII. In the tormer case 1 make use of a=flapper valve 350 coordinated with a thermostat 38 in an, obvious manner needing no detailed explanation herein; whereas in the latter instance, the opening 355 leads from aby-pass 39 set apart in the down-flow air passage 26 by partitioning 40, efli'u-x through the hy-pass being controlled by adamper 41 subject to a-thermostat 38das aforesaid within the incubating chamber 13. By employing the by-pass 39 just described, to protect an exhaust outlet 35?) located in a side wall of the incubator, it is possible to avoid back draft.

As a further precaution against overheating I may employ additional exhaust openings 43 (Fig. 11) for escape of air direct from the incubating chambers 13', these openings being preferably located central ly a ove the tray racks l4, and their dampers 44 respectively hung from the levers 37, of the thermostats 38 so as to be actuated simultaneously with the dampers 36 0i the outlets 35.

Hot water which I preferably use as the heating medium, is supplied from a heater 45 which is common to both incubator sections 12. The flow pipe 46 0f the distribut- -chamber 13 .of the heater 45 is likewise connected to a transverse pipe 52 which is common to mains 53 extendinglongitudinally through the hollow base 17 of the structure and affording connection for the lower terminals 54 and 550i the coils 29 and 34, respectively. By thus connecting the coil banks29, 3,4 of each incubator section 12 in parallel with the flow and return mains 48, 53 each oi said coils receives its proper apportionment of the flow of heating medium. In order that the-flow in the several coil banks 29, 34 may be individually controlled, a Valve 56 is provided for each of them at its juncture with the supply main 48, at the ,top of the housing :10. As a .means to enable a portion of the flow of heating medium to be diverted from .the coil banks 29 and 34 for general control of the system, I employ a by-pass pipe 57 that extends vertically between headers 58, '59 respectively connecting the outer ends of the supply and return mains 3'7 and exteriorly of the housing 10. 'llhe by-pass pipe 57 has a valve 60 interposed in it which. will enable regulation :the quantity of the heating medium zdiverted, so that the-desired working balance may be established and maintained in the system.

In operation, the fresh airenteringthe incubator through the inlets 2-1 finds itsv way to the up-flow branches 25 of the passages in the end walls 180f the respective ,incib bator section. 12. In moving upward through the branches 2.5 @the air, in en- .counteringithe staggered.convolutions of the coil bank 29 is caused to follow a zig-zag or undulatory course and is thus quickly and uniformly heated by intimate contact with the pipes. From the 'up-fiow branch '25 in each instance, the heated air passes through the opening 27, over the top of the partition 24 and into the adjacent down-flow branch 26, descending in. the latter and finally ventering the incubating chamber 13 at the bottom through the opening 28., The two air streams thus entering the incubating from opposite ends, first rise and then: take generally horizontal courses in opposite directions through the racks. 14 respectively, and about theeggs on the trays 1'5. vHowever, before making their exit, these two oppesedyai-r streams areiobligecl -to descend again to the bottom of the chamber 13 for passage, through the openings .33,

into the flue 30 which leads to the exterior, as ,already explained. By virtue of the draft artificially induced in the flue 30 by the auxiliary coil banks 34, a constant circulation of air is assured, such circulation being automatically regulated by escape through the openings 35 and 43 under governance of the thermostats 38. -T'hus, for example, when the temperature within the chamber 13 has a tendency to increase by reason of the added animal heat given off by the eggs during the later phases of the incubating period, the thermostats 38 will so automatically govern escape through the openings 35 and 43 as to effect moderation in the air flow and a corresponding compensative balance in the heat artificially supplied. When required, the individual valves 56 of the main coil banks 29 may be adjusted so that difierent conditions of temperature may be maintained in the two separate incubator sections 12. On the other hand, general modificationof the flow of the heating medium in the Whole system may be eflfected by varying the amount diverted through the by-pass pipe 57 as a result of adjustment of the valve 60 interposed therein.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In an incubator, the combination of an incubating chamber, an up-and-down passage via which air enters said chamber at the bottom and in the up-portion only whereof it is heated, a by-pass set apart in the down-flow portion of said passage connecting with the exterior of the incubator to permit escape by way of the by-pass of heated air from said passage, and thermostatic means automatically controlling such escape in accordance with temperature conditions prevailing in the incubating chamber.

2. In an incubator, the combination of an incubating chamber, a vertically up-anddown passage through which air flows enroute to and enters the incubating chamber at its bottom and in the up-portion only whereof it is uniformly heated, an outlet by-pass set apart in the down-flow portion of the passage permitting escape of heated air at a point about midway 0f the down passage, and thermostatic means for automatically controlling diversion of the flow of heated air by way of the by-pass in accordance with the temperature conditions prevailing in the incubating chamber.

3. In an incubator, the combination of an incubating chamber, a vertical passage via which air enters the incubating chamber, said passage having an up-fiow entrant branch containing heating means, and a down-flow exit branch, a by-pass extending downwardly to an intermediate point in said exit branch permitting escape of heated air to the exterior, and thermostatic means automatically controlling efllux through the outlet in accordance with temperature con- Icgitions prevailing in the incubating cham- 4. In an incubator, the combination of an incubating chamber, an up-and-down passage with heating means in the up portion only via which air enters the chamber at its bottom, independent air discharge outlets respectively from a point intermediate the ends of the aforesaid passage and from the incubating chamber, and co-ordinated thermostatic means for simultaneously governing efiiux through said discharge outlets to automatically regulate inflow through the incubator.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my name at Trenton, New Jersey, this fourteenth day of May, A. D., 1925.

TOLBERT K. TIFFANY. 

